Aging, obesity, lack of exercise, and illnesses like Parkinson’s disease are just a few of the many causes of mobility impairment in elderly adults. Elderly adults can still lead active, healthy lives even if they have mobility issues or a permanent loss of their ability to walk. They can make daily tasks simpler and focus on what they do best.
You may suffer a great deal from the fear of your elderly parents falling, especially if they live alone. What should you do when your loved one refuses to use accessibility options like wheelchair assistance for parents? What could you do to secure their house? In this article, we’ll discuss what to do when an aging parent can’t walk.
Related: What to Eat for Weak Legs in Elderly: 7 Leg Muscles Building Food – Elder VIP
Causes: Why An Elderly Parent Can’t Walk?
Your elderly parent may have been deteriorating into immobility over a period of years, or they may have recently been in an accident or fallen and suffered an illness or injury that has made it more difficult for them to move around independently. In addition, if your elderly parent is taking certain medications, such as anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, sedatives, or anti-hypertensive medication, one or more of these drugs may contribute to a loss of mobility. Again, you might want to be concerned about this.
These common conditions, such as bunions, corns, and even shoes that are too large or too small, might not be serious, but they can limit the distance an elderly person feels comfortable walking. Age-related bone brittleness also increases the risk of fractures and broken bones for people, who are also more likely to experience these injuries. Due to their fear of falling again, they might be reluctant to take the risk. Further complicating matters for family caregivers is the possibility that elderly people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease won’t be able to express their pain or pinpoint where it is coming from.
When people in their later years have spinal stenosis, the pressure that builds up in their spine can have an adverse effect on the spinal nerves and the spinal cord, particularly in the lower back and the neck. If a parent is suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, their ability to walk will probably change.
What to Do When Elderly Parents Can’t Walk?
It is common for elderly parents to become less mobile as they get older. Many parents who are elderly lead less active lives as a result of this, and many of them feel they lack the stability or support to begin walking again. Learning to use a walker or cane can be difficult, but failing to do so can reduce your elderly parent’s quality of life. Here are a few ideas.
Change Home Decoration
Making significant changes to your loved one’s home can make using wheelchairs and other mobility aids less difficult. Numerous of these renovations are simple and affordable. These include rearranging furniture, keeping frequently used items on small tables, and making purchases like motorized couches and beds. Consider adding ramps in the home and moving your loved one’s bedroom to the first floor to prevent him or her from needing to navigate stairs. Your parent’s independence may be maintained and their mental and emotional well-being may be improved with the help of these home improvements.
Use of Wheelchairs, Canes and Other Mobility Aids
The kind of device your loved one uses will depend on how severe their mobility issues are. Crutches or a walker are examples of mobility aids that can be used by a loved one who is healing from a broken leg. Buy a wheelchair, though, if your parent is completely unable to walk. An elderly parent has a choice of both standard wheelchairs and motorized equipment. Mobility aids make it easier for elderly parents to get around without completely relying on family caregivers. If your elderly parent or loved one has dementia or another age-related condition like Alzheimer’s, caring for them can be even more difficult.
Sign Up for Physical Therapy
If your loved one hasn’t permanently lost the ability to walk, you can take steps to boost his or her muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Ask the doctor of your loved one for suggestions on a physical therapist. If your loved one has lost some mobility as a result of an accident, an injury, or a physical condition like Parkinson’s disease or a stroke, the doctor can provide you with the name and number of a qualified specialist who can help. A professional caregiver can help your loved one safely follow an exercise program recommended by your parent’s doctor or physical therapist. Many elderly parents choose to stay in their current homes rather than move into assisted living facilities.
Services Provided
Your loved one doesn’t need to be unable to walk to go outside, run errands, exercise, and take part in enjoyable activities. Taking into account your loved one’s physical capabilities, simplify tasks and activities. Look for projects that can be done from a chair instead of activities that require standing up and moving around. Water-based activities are another option, which older parents with mobility issues can easily enjoy when they are buoyed by the water’s natural buoyancy.
Balance Exercises
Elderly patients might be able to walk unassisted after a fall, surgery, or other medical problem, but these setbacks may change their gait. Gait problems, fragility, and general weakness are prone to occur. Getting up and moving again may be difficult as a result of all of these, both physically and psychologically. Using a mobility aid correctly can increase mobility and work all the muscles.
In order to walk independently, balance is necessary. Poor balance could lead to slipping and falling, which would result in more injuries and bed rest. Even worse, your elderly parent’s mobility may deteriorate noticeably if they break a hip or leg after falling. They can stay safe and avoid falls by engaging in balance exercises.
Conclusion
It is best to seek out advanced care services, such as physical therapy, to assist your elderly parent in regaining some or all of their walking ability. Even a stationary body can have a psychological impact. Parental dementia, depression, fear and anxiety, as well as vision loss, can be brought on by an elderly parent who is unable to walk. Establishing a routine, even with a little exercise or movement, will aid in halting further physical deterioration. Additionally, moving and stretching your parents’ muscles will make their bodies stronger and more flexible.
